Avalanche take game 1, horn blowing amidst Kempe and Byfield shoving Nelson and Nichuskin on the boards.
2-1 final score, game was close but the Kings seemed totally out of gas in the last 5 until a desperation goal with the net empty gave life…and Armia’s High Sticking took it away.
#goavsgo
21.3 left as Wedgwood freezes. Forsberg in the bench making it a 5 on 5.
#goavsgo
Forsberg goes the second the kings get the puck.
#goavsgo
DJ Smith taking his timeout with 52.4 seconds left and Avs on PP.
Smith and his goalie Forsberg had a miscommunication right before the stoppage on him coming out to even the attack.
2-1 COL
#goavsgo
Necas playoff snakebite continues. Kadri gets him a wide open shot and he goes cross bar and out on the PP.
Still 2-1
#goavsgo
Armia high sticks Manson and the rest of the game is likely a PK for LA. Avs up 2-1, and LA finally had life only to make a brutal error there. Armia is going to be hearing it from coach DJ Smith if they don’t find a shorty here.
#goavsgo
Kings break through on these rushes right 6 on 4 with 2:22 remaining. Panarin point shot is deflected and Wedgewood is screened never seeing it.
2-1 and we have 2 minutes of a real game now.
#goavsgo
High stick on Nelson gives the Kings a late PP. assume it’ll become a 6 on 4 with the empty net, last gasp of game one coming up here.
Score still 2-0
#goavsgo
This Kings team is GASSED. It’s bad, altitude is overrated but they can’t keep their feet even without contact on these rushes right now.
This is game one, quite an omen.
#goavsgo
This 4 on 4 has zero flow, very choppy tone now. Kempe wanted to set the tone of antagonism for the series and things are getting ugly early.
Still 2-0 with 5 left in game one,
#goavsgo
Kempe refused to answer the bell from Landeskog for the earlier dirt on Makar. Now both go to the box for 4 on 4 after Kempe sat in the bench for 30+ seconds pretending to ignore the official?
This is why you eject a player who is behaving outside the rules like this.
#goavsgo
Contrast this with an incident the next play on the other side of the ice. Laughton gets tangled up and falls backwards to the ice, hands shielding his head because you can see the concussion coming, and Nelson caught him before he hit the ice and helped land.
Class has a place in playoff hockey.
That was super dirty.
Kempe elbows Makar in the head behind the kings net well after the play then brings his stick into Makars eyes as he goes to the ice.
That should’ve been an ejection. Not at all a hockey play.
#goavsgo
On the PP Kings throwing elbows and setting picks since they know the scores still nothing on the scoreboard after the PP ends though, 2-0 it remains and now the challenge becomes not looking ahead to game 2 for LA.
#goavsgo
Wedgewood being called into work on this PK. Standing tall thus far (generous whistle there though lol)
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Landeskog going to the box seeing as the pp chances have to be evened out a bit because officiating in the playoffs.
#goavsgo
Heartening to hear DJ TripleT in Denver bringing more PopPunk vibes to the Arena playlist for the third period of the playoffs.
If the suits won’t let you play all the small things anymore this is a decent compromise.
#goavsgo
Forsberg hearing it from the Avs crowd now. Kings loosening up their checking as desperation mode is kicking in down 2 with 12 to go.
#goavsgo
Right after an egregious no call, LOC pounced on a hideous kings turnover for a free break goal.
Puck don’t lie.
2-0 COL
#goavsgo
Kadri just got his leg swept from under him by an extended knee, no call. Have to imagine that’s a penalty in any regular season game
4 mins into the third and the Kings showing some frustration. After play shoving ramping up as the game slows down.
#goavsgo
TNT I hate to break it to you, but if your broadcast team is being distracted by April Baseball across town while watching a Stanley cup playoff game, you have the wrong team.
That’s just pathetic.
#goavsgo
All good mate. Hockey is about passion first and foremost.
You can read my other posts about it. You’re arguing without an opponent here.
Trying to game the way this is officiated. It’s an open secret goaltender interference is one of the most inconsistent rulings you see in the league. Sort of a coin toss every time so if you feel aggressive it’s worth gambling on.
Second period ends with Avs up 1-0.
Good to break through, great work from Forsberg to only be one. Scary moments mid way through but over all feels like the better team has controlled the game.
One more period to wrap that up.
#goavsgo
He’s one of those guys, reminds me of Vejmelka/Ingram/Wedgewood honestly. Depending on the year and team he is above or below average.
The kings haven’t won many games this year, and Kuemper hasn’t really been their number 1.
Great example on that first goal of why it’s a good idea to take bad shots in the playoffs when you have zone control. That MacKinnon shot would never have gone in with 20 tries, but the chaos gives Lehky a chance to collect the garbage.
#goavsgo
In my house it is the Russian Scandal Series…for memorable reasons.